The way it is
by Kichi
Summary: a Bulma Vegeta get together


The way it is  
By: Kichi

Why can't I come up with a decent title?  
DISCLAIMER: All characters in this fic belong to Akira Toriyama and are being used without permission.

Vegeta sighed. The program on the television was not humorous in the slightest, yet Bulma and Kakarotto were laughing as if it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen in their life. He sighed again in irritation. He would much rather be training than sitting there, it was only three weeks after Goku had returned from Yardrat and the need to become a super Saiyan was constantly nagging at him. But no, Bulma had refused to fix the broken gravity room unless Vegeta came to Kami House with her. He remembered their argument clearly.

*****

"All you ever do is eat, sleep, and train. You never do anything fun!" Bulma whined, the noise severely grating on his nerves.  
"How can you call sitting at an old perverts house 'fun'?" Vegeta mused. Bulma sighed, rolling her eyes.  
"Forget it. I don't care what your idea of fun is. I'd rather not know." She snapped in disgust. "But if you don't come with me, not only will I refuse to fix the gravity room, but I won't feed you either!" Vegeta's eyes widened in fury but he quickly masked his rage with a cold smile.  
"You can't do that." He said, his eyes shining.  
"And why not?" she asked.  
"Because, I'll trash your house." He said, the smile growing.  
"Oh yeah?" Bulma challenged. "Well if you do then I'll kick your ass out and you'll have nowhere to live, how about that, tough guy?" Vegeta scowled, damn that woman, its not that he couldn't make it on his own without her help, but then he'd have no gravity room to train in. _Damn it!!!_  
"But I don't want to go to that perverts house!" he yelled, his face turning pink with frustration. Bulma sighed and gently placed her hand on his arm, ignoring the fact that he immediately backed away.  
"Quit being such a baby!" Bulma cried, letting her hand fall. "You can't always get what you want, Vegeta. Even if you are a prince." Vegeta snorted in disgust.  
"I am not a baby, and I never get what I want, obviously!" Bulma quickly turned away gritting her teeth.  
"Listen to me." She said in a low voice. "I don't care what you want! I don't care that you never get what you want either! No one ever does! That's life! If you don't like it, that's too damn bad!"  
"Oh, shut up already!" Vegeta yelled his anger rising. "You think I don't know that? I'm not stupid!" They glared at each other silently for a moment. Time began to slow and Bulma wondered why Vegeta stared at her for so long. She didn't dare break his gaze.  
"Are you coming with me or not?" Bulma hissed. Vegeta frowned and appeared extremely disgusted. He stood silently his face contorting from rage to indecision, and back to fury.  
"Fine!" he yelled his face flushed and he turned and stomped away muttering: "Bitch." Loud enough for Bulma to hear. But she didn't say a thing, too busy she was gloating over her obvious triumph to care.

******

So now here he was, miserably bored and cursing himself for agreeing. Why had he let the baka onna trick him into coming? What was it about her that he felt he had to do what she wanted, even if he wanted the exact opposite? He firmly decided the only way out was to fall asleep, and roughly fifteen minutes later he was dead to the world.

Bulma was having a good time. Goku was making her laugh to the point that her stomach was aching; Master Roshi, Krillin, Chaotzu and Tien were playing some card game. Yamcha and Gohan were watching T.V. and Vegeta… Was sleeping.  
"Vegeta!" Bulma yelled, startling the Saiyan awake.  
"WHAT?!" Vegeta yelled loud enough to shake the house.  
"Why are you sleeping?" Bulma said, trying to stay calm.  
"What the hell do you care? I'm here aren't I? That's what you wanted isn't it? Why do you care what I do?" he said, almost as loud as before.  
"Come on Vegeta, lighten up." Goku said with a grin.  
"Shut up!" Vegeta snapped. "Why can't I just sleep?" he said, glaring at Bulma.  
"Why do you need to sleep now? Why can't you just wait till later? The sun hasn't even set yet." She said.  
"BECAUSE I am BORED." He replied. "My dreams are WAY more interesting than this."  
"Fine then you jerk! Just go home and go to bed!!" She yelled. Vegeta sat up, trying to hide a smile.  
"I will." And he left ignoring everyone's curious stares.

Once outside he breathed a sigh or relief and was about to take off when Bulma's voice halted him in his tracks.  
"Why are you such a jerk? Why do you have to embarrass me in front of my friends?" She cried, her voice shaking. Vegeta turned to stare at her with wide eyes. _What is wrong with her?_ He wondered.  
"What?" he said, she looked like she was about to cry, and for some reason… it bothered him.  
"What do you mean, 'What'?" you are such a- a JERK!! You don't even know why I'm upset!" her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. Vegeta felt his insides twist and for a brief moment he wondered if he was getting sick. But in a moment of sudden understanding, he realized it was his own actions that had brought her to the verge of tears. _ I didn't want to make the weakling baka cry! I just wanted to leave!_  
"There's no reason to cry, baka! I just-" he was suddenly cut off by Bulma screaming:  
"I'm not crying!" but as soon as she said it, a tear betrayed her and slipped down her cheek.  
"Yes you are!" he cried, pointing. He was shocked. Why would she cry? Surely she didn't really want him around? _Oh, wait, she's just upset because I "embarrassed her" in front of her stupid friends._ He thought angrily.  
"Shut up Vegeta!"  
"No! Your just mad cause I embarrassed you in front of those stupid ninjen's and that fool Kakarotto! I can't believe you would actually cry over that."  
"That's not it!" she began.  
"Then what is it?!" he cried, throwing his hands up. "Or are you just trying to drive me crazy trying to figure it out?"  
"Why do you care?" Bulma said, wiping tears away. She was absolutely furious at Vegeta for making her cry, and she knew everyone inside was watching them through the windows.  
"ARRGH!" Vegeta yelled tugging his hair. "Forget it! I DON'T care!" and he turned to leave when Bulma's voice stopped him again, this time he had to strain to hear her.  
"Of course you don't. The Prince of Saiyans cares only for himself. I don't know why I ever would have thought you might." Vegeta clenched his fists, shaking with fury and… something else he couldn't identify. He turned and quickly strode over to where Bulma stood.  
"What is wrong with you?" he demanded. "Why are you doing this? Why can't you ever just leave me alone?" Bulma lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. He felt a jolt run through him when he saw that hers were still filled with tears.  
"Is that what you want? To be alone forever?" her icy tone sent chills up his spine. She had no idea how she was affecting him, or how her tears upset him. She put her hand on his chest and he froze.  
He sighed in resignation. He didn't know why but he felt guilty for causing her pain. He'd never felt this way, ever. It was unsettling and he felt he had to do anything to make her happy so the sensation would stop.  
"What do you want from me?" he asked, almost pleading. Bulma sighed blinking back her tears. She didn't know what she wanted from Vegeta. Well, she wanted him to be nice maybe once in his life and just hang out but it was painfully obvious that he did not wish to do so. She realized then that it was selfish of her to make him suffer just so she would be happy, but she had thought that he might actually enjoy himself after awhile. But there was no such luck, he hadn't even cracked a smile. She slowly lifted her gaze and was surprised to see that Vegeta looked… Tormented. But how she wasn't sure. Did it bother him that much to be here? Or maybe it was her tears. If the latter was the case then she had a weapon that she hadn't been aware she possessed before. She shook her head, Vegeta would never care if he made someone cry… Would he?  
She wondered.  
Her silence made him nervous. Was it possible that she didn't even know what she wanted from him? Or was she devising new ways to torment him? Furthermore, why did he even care what she thought? He was the Prince of Saiyans, and she was a stupid human female; what did he care about her weak emotions? But he did, he knew it made no sense, but he did care or why else did he feel this pain when she was sad? It was as if her sadness was his own as well. But no. It couldn't… _Oh NO_. He backed away from her as if she had the plague. Bulma noticed his hasty retreat and when she looked up she was surprised to see that Vegeta's face was a sickly shade of white.  
"Vegeta… are you okay?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice.  
"I have to go." He whispered, staring at her with burning eyes. And without another word her turned his back to he and shot into the sky.  
"Wait…" Bulma whispered. She watched him go, her eyes burning. As soon as he vanished from sight she reached into her pocket and threw a capsule onto the ground. With a loud bang a capsule car appeared. With firm resolve, she jumped in and took off towards Capsule Corporation.

_Damn that woman to hell and back! What the hell is wrong with her? And what in the seven Hells' is wrong with me for letting her do it? Why? She makes me so angry, and then she makes me feel guilty for being angry at her! I can't believe it! Something about her twists everything around and I can't do anything to stop it. I have to stay away from her… as far as I can. But it will never work as long as I live in the same house as her…_  
Vegeta landed at Capsule Corp. and stormed into the Gravity room and cranked it up to 400 G's. For a moment he just stood there as the gravity changed. He was trying to rid himself of thoughts of Bulma but nothing was working. He was about to lift into the air, when the gravity shut off and the door was flung open. Vegeta turned, surprised to find Bulma marching up to him. How dare she? After all he went through to get away from her and she FOLLOWED HIM? It was ridiculous, it was absurd.  
"What the hell do you want woman?" he said incredulously. "Why do you insist on tormenting me?" Bulma stopped inches away from him, her eyes glinting.  
"I want to know the truth." She hissed. Vegeta's eyebrows rose a fraction. "Do you really want to be alone the rest of your life?" Vegeta frowned and cocked his head to the side, actually pondering what she'd asked.  
"No." he mumbled about a minute later.  
"Then why are you so… Difficult?!" she cried in exasperation. "Why is it that when anyone tries to be NICE to you, you throw it back in their face? Why are you such a cold-hearted bastard?" she was close to tears. Again. Damn it.  
"Because… That's the way it is." He replied in a soft voice. It caught her attention immediately. She gazed at his face and was startled to see… what was it? Sadness, maybe empathy? He himself had once, long ago, wondered why he was treated so cruelly. He'd thought it was to make him stronger but as he grew older he began to wonder if it was just out of spite, to torture and eventually break him.  
"What do you mean?" Bulma said, he brow furrowing in anger. "What kind of answer is that?"  
"It is an acceptable answer. This is how I was raised. And you expect me to instantly change? For what? You?" he snorted as if the thought was beneath his notice. Bulma felt fine tremors race up her spine. He would pay for that…  
"You. Are. So. Despicable." Bulma spat out. "You won't even try. And I'm not saying to do it for me. Do it for yourself. Your always miserable, locking yourself in the gravity room and training until you nearly kill yourself! Is that what you want? You want to die?"  
"No!" Vegeta yelled, cutting her off. "Who the hell are you that you think you know so much about me? You don't know anything about me!"  
"I know that you're alone. Just like I am." She said quietly, her eyes lowering. Vegeta felt as if something was caught in his throat. How dare she say such things to him. It was as if she was pulling his subconscious thoughts from his mind and waving them in his face. "Haven't you ever sat in a room full of people and felt totally alone?" she continued, ignoring his silence. "I mean, at least I have friends.. who do you have? Anyone?"  
"Shut up!" Vegeta cried, his voice cracking. He grabbed her by the shoulders and slightly shook her.  
"Why can't you listen to what I'm saying?" she screamed, tears pouring from her eyes at last. As if on instinct, she flung herself in his arms. He gasped as her soft body pressed against his, and without thinking his arms encircled her. He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply, he'd always loved her smell. He just could never allow himself to dwell on it.  
She shuddered and softly cried into his chest. Vegeta was such a heartless bastard, yet here he was, comforting her after it was his own actions that made her cry. She didn't know what to think, but part of her was overjoyed.  
Vegeta didn't know what to think. First the baka onna was yelling at him and now she was crying in his arms. He was confused, angry, and for some bizarre reason, elated. He had to admit, the little human female, was beautiful and smart and had a fiery will to match his own. He didn't know why he hadn't seen it sooner. And now that he had his arms around her, he didn't want to let go. Her scent was intoxicating, he hardly was aware that his hand was running lightly up and down her spine. It seemed to have a calming effect though. Bulma had quieted and was deeply relaxed. He felt her knees give out and he held her up.  
"Woman?" he said softly. There was no response. "Bulma?" a whisper. He gently caught her chin and tilted her face towards his. She was sleeping! And he knew if he screamed HER name and woke HER up, he would never hear the end of it. "Damn you." He hissed, picked her up, and carried her out of the gravity room and into her house.

*************

He planned on just dumping her on the couch and then going up to his own room, but instead he carried her up the stairs and to her room. He gently placed her on her bed and watched her in silence as she sighed and mumbled in her sleep. Cold moonlight spilled through the window giving her an ethereal beauty. Vegeta stared in awe. Kami she was beautiful! She looked so peaceful as she slept. He didn't know how long he stayed there but he knew he should leave lest his presence should awaken her. He shook his head and quickly exited the room; the onna was going to drive him crazy. Just being near her confused and excited him. He sighed deeply and trudged to his room.

Sleep eluded Vegeta for hours. He could think of nothing but Bulma and the thought angered him. It was bad enough that she constantly nagged and annoyed him throughout the day, but now she invaded his thoughts at night. If he didn't get the proper amount of rest he wouldn't be able to train the next day. At this rate I'll become a super Saiyan in about 50 years. Vegeta thought with a frown. He pushed his pillows onto the floor and kicked half of his covers off. He was so tired but every time he closed his eyes he could only think of Bulma and the tears she'd shed earlier.  
Damn her! He cursed silently. Her words kept echoing through his head.  
"Do you want to be alone the rest of your life?" when he'd been with Frieza he'd been alone quite often. He should be used to it by now, but somehow he wasn't. It's this damn planet and these insane humans. He thought. They have no concept of privacy and they can't handle being alone for more than five minutes. Somehow, in the year that he'd been there, he'd grown accustomed to Bulma and he family always bugging him. If he happened to avoid everyone for a few days he did sort of feel alone. But worse than that was the fact that he was the only true Saiyan left. Sure there was Kakarotto. But he was an Earth Saiyan, and so was his son. They had no clue what it was like to live on Vejiitasei. The only thing that they had in common with Vegeta was their strength and blood. But other than that… nothing. Could that be what was bothering him? Vegeta frowned, abruptly sitting up. Obviously he wasn't going to get any sleep soon.  
He quickly stood and threw on a pair of black boxers that Bulma had bought for him and headed to the kitchen.  
After eating nine ham sandwiches Vegeta still was not tired. He sighed, plopped down on the couch, and turned on the TV. He flipped through the channels for about five minutes before he settled on the food network. He listened to the chef rattle on about eating healthy for about five minutes when his eyelids began to feel heavy. He yawned and grabbed a knit blanket at the end of the couch and wrapped it around himself, snuggling into its warmth. In seconds he was asleep.

He woke the next morning, more tired than usual. He cursed Bulma for also invading his dreams for the third night in a row. He looked around and realized he was still in the living room on the couch.  
"This is ridiculous." He mumbled rubbing his eyes. He remembered the dream clearly. He had been looking for her in a house he'd never been to, filled with people he'd never met. He kept catching glimpses of her but as soon as he got close, she would disappear. But as in all dreams, he was incapable of doing anything about it.  
With a resigned sigh, he rolled off the couch and staggered to the bathroom.

Bulma sat in the kitchen drinking coffee when she saw Vegeta enter the kitchen. She noticed his rumpled appearance and the fact that he was only clad in a pair of black boxers she'd bought him.  
"Rough night?" she asked, the corner of her mouth curling up in a half-smile. Vegeta internally groaned when he heard her voice, but said nothing. He plopped down in the chair across from her and glared.  
"Get me some food." He mumbled. Bulma was about to snap back a reply but decided against it when she noticed his face was drawn and pale. She frowned and placed a plate full of eggs, little sausages and hash browns before him. She sat back down and grabbed her coffee, studying Vegeta as he ate.  
He looked like death warmed over. She'd never seen him look so pale. His expression was clearly of confusion and he looked more than a little upset. She'd never seen emotion so clearly on his face but he didn't even notice her scrutiny. He wasn't even looking at her. He just stared down at his plate as if it fascinated him. He suddenly put his fork down and stood. Bulma noticed his food wasn't even gone.  
"Are you ok Vegeta?" Bulma asked frowning. He turned and looked at her, a blank expression plastered on his face.  
"Yes." He said flatly and headed to his room. Bulma bit her lip, worried. He didn't even yell at her for asking? What the hell was wrong with him? Was he still upset about last night? Was he that pissed at her for dragging him to Kame House that he didn't even want to fight with her? Or was he sick? He certainly looked like he was. She'd never seen him look so rough, but he was a Saiyan, he couldn't get sick, could he? In all the years she'd know Goku, she never once seen him sick.  
She quickly stood and decided to follow Vegeta. She walked to his door and tapped on it.  
"What?" came a muffled groan from inside.  
"Vegeta.. it's Bulma."  
"No shit!" he snapped. Bulma frowned but held her temper in check. If he really was sick he was bound to be really crabby.  
"Uh.. May I come in?" there was silence for over a minute. She was about to leave when he yelled: "Fine!" She grinned triumphantly and strolled on in.

He was curled up in bed, the bedside alarm/radio playing quietly. He yawned loudly as she walked in.  
"What's wrong with you?" Bulma asked noting once again his pale face. "You look sick." Vegeta sat up and faced her his mouth drawn in a scowl.  
"Sick? Why?" he demanded as if she'd just insulted him.  
"You face is white. I've never seen you look so pale. Are you feeling all right?" Vegeta snorted, but kept his eyes on her as she sat down at the edge of his bed.  
"I'm fine!" he snapped.  
"Then why are you still in bed? Normally you would have been training hours ago. Are you sure your okay? Or are you just saying it to get me to leave?" a sly smile spread across Vegeta's face and she had all the answer she needed. She glared at him for a moment, her blue eyes flashing, her mouth pressed into a thin line.  
She said nothing, simply turned and left slamming the door behind her.  
"Asshole." She spat as she stormed down the hall.  
"Bitch." Vegeta mumbled. But the onna was right. He should be training. He slowly climbed to his feet and got dressed then headed to the gravity room.

"What an asshole!" Bulma cried. She was furious. All she ever got from Vegeta was aggravation, even when she was trying to be nice. She needed to vent her frustration somehow. She picked up the phone and called ChiChi.  
"Moshi moshi!" ChiChi answered brightly.  
"Hi ChiChi."  
"Oh! Hello Bulma! How are you?" Bulma frowned at that.  
"I'm pissed off!" she replied tersely.  
"Oh? What's wrong? Boy trouble?" Bulma snorted.  
"More like monkey trouble." She heard ChiChi giggle on the other end.  
"Is Vegeta giving you trouble?"  
"Well, not trouble, he's just always being a dick."  
"What did he do?" ChiChi asked, her cheerful voice dropping in concern.  
"Well, when he came dome for breakfast he looked like shit, I mean, he looked sick. His face was all white and he didn't even finish his breakfast. And then he went back up to his room to sleep again I guess. So I went to see if he was ok and he was in bed, still white as a ghost and I asked him if he was ok and he said he was fine. But I could tell something was up so I said: 'Are you just saying that to get me to leave?' and he gave me this really shitty smile. You know?" she sighed.  
"Yes. He's a prick Bulma. Why don't you kick him out? You don't need that crap. If you want I'll tell Goku to kick his butt if he gives you any trouble." Bulma laughed.  
"I don't know. He is a jerk, but he's never actually done anything to me."  
"What are you talking about?" ChiChi fairly shrieked in her ear. "He insults you every day, that is emotional abuse." Bulma suddenly pictured herself telling Vegeta that he was emotionally abusing her. He could almost hear his mocking laughter. She giggled. "What?" ChiChi snapped. "Why are you laughing?"  
"I was just picturing Vegeta's reaction if I told him that."  
"Tell me what?" Bulma screamed throwing the cordless up in the air and whipped around to see Vegeta gazing at her curiously. He caught the phone as it was about to crash down on Bulma's head. He put it to his ear. "Who is this?" Bulma paled as she heard ChiChi yelling on the other end. She wanted to crawl under a rock when Vegeta smiled. Oh Kami, what is she saying? She wondered as his smile turned into a huge grin. He suddenly began to laugh, he tossed the phone to Bulma and left, cackling in delight all the way to the gravity room. Bulma brought the phone to her ear with shaking hands.  
"ChiChi?" she whispered, her voice quivering. "What did you say?"  
"I told him to be nice to you. I told him that he is a guest and should show proper respect, that's all." Bulma frowned.  
"Then why was he laughing like that?" ChiChi shrugged.  
"How should I know? You know him better than anyone, except for maybe Goku. Bulma! He's suck a jerk! How could you stand to live with him?"  
"Well…. I don't know. If he wasn't here my life would be a lot easier. But…" she suddenly pounded the table with her fist. "I don't know!" ChiChi frowned again.  
"Come on Bulma. There has to be some reason you let him treat you like that. Are you a masochist or something? Or do you think he's cute?"  
"What?" Bulma cried. "No!"  
"No, you're not a masochist or no, you don't think he's cute?" ChiChi prompted. Bulma blushed furiously. She was thankful she was on the phone and not sitting in front of ChiChi.  
"I am NOT a MASOCHIST!" she snapped.  
"Ah HA!" ChiChi crowed. "But you DO think he's cute! Admit it!"  
"N-no! not at all!" Bulma cried.  
"Liar!" ChiChi squealed. Clapping her hands in delight.  
"No!" Bulma cried, her face bright red. "It's not true!"  
"Bulma. It's okay!" ChiChi said. "He would be cute if he smiled once or twice."  
"Y-you think so?" Bulma squeaked.

Vegeta sat outside the door listening to the whole conversation. He didn't know what had possessed him, but the fact that they obviously were talking about him made it too hard to resist. He wondered what the blue-haired onna was yelling about. He pressed his ear to the door to hear better.

"Sure!" ChiChi replied. "He's got a cute face, a nice body, too bad he's such a dick head." Bulma laughed.  
"That's true. If he wasn't such a jerk he'd have women falling all over him."  
"Women like you maybe?" Bulma blushed again.  
"Maybe. But come on! We're talking about Vegeta here. You know it will never happen." ChiChi sighed.  
"True. And besides. He is a killer. Bulma you should stay away from him. If you don't want to kick him out that's fine, but just be careful."  
"Yeah. Your right ChiChi."

Vegeta sat outside the door. He felt so… well pissed off for one, but he also felt guilty for some reason. Was Bulma really considering kicking him out? He thought back on all the times they'd fought. As far as he was concerned it was all in good fun. Yesterday had been the first time he'd actually made her cry and he'd felt bad about it, but what was he to do? Apologize?  
"HA!" he snapped and quickly strode to the gravity chamber.

Vegeta turned the gravity up to 400 G's. As of yet he had not turned it up past 300. As the gravity began to rise he grunted and tried to stand still but as it reached 378 G's he felt his knees begin to buckle. But he didn't care. All he could think about was Bulma… Again. He was infuriated about the way she and Kakarotto's loud-mouthed mate talked about him. He couldn't hear what ChiChi had said, but he had a feeling in his gut that it wasn't good by they way Bulma kept yelling: "No!"  
He cringed as the gravity continued to rise. He began to wonder if he should turn it down, but snorted and dismissed the thought immediately. * I will become a Super Saiyan or die trying. * He thought. The gravity surged to 400 and the strain was too much. His muscles were burning, his bones felt like they were seconds away from shattering. Vegeta fell to his knees with a pained cry. He gritted his teeth and tried to rise, but it was almost impossible.  
"Fuck." He hissed. He could hardly stay on his hands and knees. His hands were sweating and he was about to slip. And if he did, Bulma would be scraping his brains off the floor.  
As if summoned by his thoughts, the gravity shut off and the door swung open. Vegeta collapsed, gasping painfully. The onna had probably just saved his life. But he wasn't about to thank her. Even if he wanted to, he could barely lift his head, and talking seemed like a monumental task at the moment.

ChiChi was right. Vegeta was a jerk and didn't deserve a slice of bread from Bulma. But she decided to give him one last change to act civil towards her and maybe if he did she would let him stay. She jogged out to the gravity room and shut the power of with the external switch. What she saw when she walked in shocked her. Vegeta lay in the center of the room curled up and gasping like he was having a heart attack.  
"Vegeta!" she gasped and ran to his side. She gently grabbed his shoulders, trying to ignore the fact that he flinched away. "Vegeta are you okay?" he moaned in reply and struggled to lift himself. She wrapped her arms around him and tugged, trying to help him sit up. She felt his muscles twitching violently. Damn, but he was heavy for such a small guy. She could only roll him onto his back. He was sweating profusely, his eyes were dazed, and his teeth were chattering. "Can you move?" she asked. She was really getting scared. She didn't want him to die. His only response was another moan.  
"I- I'm gonna-" he gasped. His eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out before he could finish his sentence.  
"Oh shit." Bulma began to panic. "Vegeta!" she cried, shaking him. There was no response and his face was almost gray. "Oh Kami, what am I gonna do?" She jumped to her feet and ran as fast as she could into the house and quickly dialed the Son house.  
"Moshi moshi."  
"GOKU! THANK KAMI!" Bulma shrieked in his ear. Goku flinched violently as her high-pitched voice rang in his ears.  
"Bulma!" he winced. "What's wrong?"  
"Goku please get over here now! I need your help please!" she cried.  
"Okay I'm coming!" he replied, and placed two fingers on his forehead. Before Bulma had hung up the phone he stood before her. "What's going on?" he said, his normally cheerful face drawn with worry.  
"Vegeta!" she cried and tugged his arm. He picked her up and ran towards the gravity room.  
"What happened?" he asked.  
"I don't know. I went in there to ask him what he wanted for dinner." She lied. She didn't like lying to Goku, but she didn't want him to know she was planning on kicking Vegeta out. "I went in there and he was lying on the floor and then he passed out!" Goku set her down outside the gravity room and stormed inside, reappearing with Vegeta in his arms seconds later.  
"He needs to go to the hospital." he said. "Meet me at Western City Hospital." And they were gone.

Bulma ran inside, grabbed her car capsule and raced back out, clicking the top and tossing the capsule to the ground as she ran. With a bang and a puff of smoke, her car appeared. She tore the door open and turned the key in the ignition. The small capsule car roared to life and she took off at high speeds.

She got to the hospital 20 minutes later and only then did she wonder why she was so worried about Vegeta. It was true that she kind of admitted that she liked him to ChiChi, but she'd never really thought about it more than physical attraction. But it was only right that she should be concerned, after all she wasn't heartless like Vegeta.  
She found his room in record time, harassing the woman at the front desk until she got his room number. She walked down the hall as quick as she could and bumped into Goku on the way out.  
"Goku! Is Vegeta okay?" it was then that she noticed his pallor. "Are YOU okay?"  
"Needles…" he murmured and stumbled down the hall. She ignored him and quickly strode in the room.  
Vegeta was sitting up in bed frowning angrily at the doctor who insisted that he lay down.  
"You need your rest, now give me your arm." He turned his head to study Bulma intently.  
"Vegeta." Bulma sighed. Her visage marked with worry. "Are you okay?" His eyes dropped and he nodded.  
"I'm fine woman!" Bulma was about to get angry until his saw his gaze on the Doctor. The small woman frowned.  
"Please sir, just give me your arm." Vegeta's gaze switched back to Bulma and he gazed questioningly into her eyes. She smiled and nodded and he sighed and held out his arm to the doctor. Bulma was amazed. For once Vegeta had forsaken his pride and asked her for help without words. She felt joy bubble up inside her that he would trust her enough to put aside his pride like that. But she decided not to dwell on it too long. Vegeta was still staring at her and as her eyes met his it was as of a jolt of electricity ran up her spine. She felt herself drowning in his gaze.  
"Are you his girlfriend?" The doctor asked. Bulma felt her face grow hot.  
"N-no. A friend." She stuttered.  
"Well, try and convince him to get some rest." She said with a sigh and left the room. Bulma smiled lightly and turned to face the Saiyan before her.  
"So.. You want to tell me what happened?" she asked, breaking the silence.  
"There's nothing to tell." He said with a yawn.  
"What?" Bulma cried incredulously. "I thought you were going to die!"  
"Pfft!" Vegeta snorted. "I said I was fine. What do you want anyway?" Bulma clenched her fists. What a bastard! She had been so worried and he didn't even give a shit.  
"You asshole! I don't know why I even wasted my time coming here! You obviously have a death wish or something! Maybe next time you decide to try and kill yourself you should let me know, it would save me some trouble." She snapped. Glaring angrily at him. Vegeta opened his mouth to reply and another yawn came out.  
"Go to hell." He finally managed.  
"Ha! The only one going to hell here is YOU. And you know what? No one is going to give a shit when you're gone because you're nothing but a heartless bastard!" she cried, her cheeks flushing. Vegeta's eyes widened and his battle aura flared.  
"I should kill you for that, you bitch! How dare you? You are nothing but a pathetic, weak human! I could crush you with no effort! Who are you to talk to me that way?" Bulma flinched, her mind reeling. She had gone too far. She'd never seen Vegeta so angry and maybe even… Hurt. She was terrified. * Goku! What are you doing? Help me! * She prayed. Goku appeared at the door, pale and haggard. But Vegeta's ki flare had drained the last of his energy and he was barely clinging to consciousness. Bulma bit her lip. She felt horrible. How did he do this to her? He slumped back and lay on his side.  
"What's going on?" Goku murmured.  
"What's wrong with you?" Bulma cried, snapping out of her trance. "Goku you look terrible!"  
"The needles…" was his only reply.  
"Go sit in the hall, I'll be out in a minute." She was surprised how quickly her fear was forgotten. She turned back to face Vegeta. He looked worse than Goku. "Oh, what am I going to do with you two?" she sighed more to herself than anyone else.  
"Why are you still here?" Vegeta mumbled. Bulma stopped in her tracks. She had been correct in her assumption, he did sound hurt by her callous words.  
"Vegeta…" she sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. But I WAS worried about you and you act like it means nothing! You push everyone away! Why?" she cried. He rolled over to face her. He looked very tired.  
"Because. It's hard not to." He said, he said softly not meeting her gaze. Bulma sat down on the bedside chair and forced him to meet her gaze. What she saw made her heart clench. He looked miserable and all the while he was trying to hide it.  
"But why? Why is it so hard to accept the fact that someone might actually care about you?" Vegeta frowned.  
"Because!" he snapped as if the answer was common knowledge. "No one ever has." * Oh Kami! * Bulma felt tears well up in her eyes. That was horrible! That was.. She couldn't even comprehend the thought. People who loved her had always surrounded her. Sure, she got lonely like everyone else, but she always knew that there was someone who cared about her. To know that Vegeta had never known such a thing tore her heart.  
Vegeta was startled to see Bulma's blue eyes swimming with tears. Why was she crying?  
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he cried. The way she was looking at him was making him feel dizzy, on top of the exhaustion he was really getting tired. He just wanted to sleep and here this woman was blubbering like a baby.  
"That is the saddest thing I've ever heard!" she sobbed.  
"Why?" he yawned.  
"Why?!" Bulma cried. "Is this some stupid Saiyan thing?"  
"Mm hmm…" Bulma ground her teeth in frustration. He was sleeping! * That damn doctor! She must have given him something to make him sleep. I'm amazed it actually worked. * she jumped to her feet and stalked out the door.  
"Goku!" she snapped. Goku started in alarm.  
"What?"  
"You can go home now." She said.  
"Is he okay?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.  
"Yes. He's sleeping now. I'm going to find out how long they want to keep him and then I'm going home."  
"Okay Bulma. I'll catch ya later!" he said and was gone. She was faintly amused that he'd stayed as long as he had. Goku had Aichmophobia (or fear of needles) in a bad way. It was strange how the strongest fighter was afraid of a tiny needle.  
She headed to the front desk and asked when Vegeta was to be released. She waited a half hour before she got an answer. If he was better tomorrow he could leave then. But they wanted to at least keep him overnight for observation.  
She headed back to his room and sat back down in her chair and just watched him sleep. She was amazed but the expression on his face. He wasn't scowling at all, he actually looked quite peaceful. His mouth was curved in a tiny half smile not at all similar to his usual smirk. * Damn. He looks really cute. * Bulma mused.  
Soon the time stretched into hours and Bulma was about to fall asleep. She scooted her chair up close to the bed and set her legs up on the mattress. She slumped down in the chair and almost immediately fell asleep.

Vegeta awoke the next morning feeling tired and sore. At first he couldn't figure out where he was for the life of him but as sleep faded away her remembered.  
He would never admit it, but he had almost got what he'd wanted. Yesterday he had almost died. At least he thought he was about to. And for a split second he had welcomed death. He'd craved it like a lost lover. Anything to end the pain he was feeling daily. He didn't know why Chikyuu was having such an effect on him. In the past he was always able to control his emotions. Nothing ever got to him. Nothing could ever stop him.  
But now everything had turned around completely. He found himself wanting, no, NEEDING to be near people. Was he that lonely? Did he raise the gravity too high just for the slim hope that he could gain Bulma's attention? Even if it was only for a while. He was disgusted. And there, asleep in the chair next to him was the very object of his desire and aching need. He stared at her in silence. He had never seen anyone as beautiful as her in all his travels. The first time he saw her on Namek he was struck speechless… for about two seconds. It would have been longer if he hadn't been fighting Zarbon at the same time.  
He had even admitted aloud that she was "gorgeous" how embarrassing! Luckily no one had heard him, or so he thought. After that he'd been too busy to even think about her, and then he died. He would never – could never forget that! Nearly every night he dreamt of it. If he wasn't dreaming about the damn woman, he was having nightmares about Frieza and his "dead time". He remembered little of what had actually happened, but he would never forget the pain. He remembered icy hands clawing at him, dragging him deeper into a bottomless abyss. The fear he'd experienced was like nothing he'd ever felt. And the sorrow that permeated the air, seeping into his lungs, and filling him with the blackest despair. He shook his head trying to rid himself of his grim thoughts. He glanced at Bulma again. She was still asleep.  
For a brief moment he envied her. Would she ever experience that kind of torture when she died? He didn't think so. As far as he knew she'd never hurt or killed anyone. While he on the other hand could easily drown in the blood of those he'd killed. Despair hit him again. How could such an innocent find room in her heart for one such as him? It was impossible. She hated him, and with good reason. What was there to like? He had no problem with his physical appearance, and besides, he knew she thought he was good-looking, but was that enough? Or would she want more?  
He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. Why was he even thinking about it? Just because she stayed with him all night didn't mean anything. Maybe she just felt sorry for him. Maybe she just wanted to make sure he wasn't dying when she threw him out. He growled in frustration.  
Bulma stirred at the sound and her eyes slowly opened.  
"Your awake." She murmured sleepily.  
"Yes." He replied tensely. He bit his lip to keep from speaking. He knew if he opened his mouth again a barrage of insults would fly out. For all the control he had over his body and power, he could never control his own mouth. He'd never needed to before.  
"The doctor said you could leave in the morning." She continued, yawning. "You do feel better right?" she sat up and eyed him all over. Vegeta felt his face grow hot. * Control yourself moron! * He mentally chided.  
"I'm fine." Bulma frowned.  
"So you said yesterday before this all happened." Vegeta rolled his eyes. "All right. You don't have to tell me what's bothering you. Let's just go home. I hate hospitals." * Home? * He wondered. Did that mean she wasn't going to make him leave? As if she could actually make him! But he kept quiet not wanting to push his luck.  
He was amazed at himself. Not to mention disgusted. He had never cared for a girl like this. Never cared what they thought of him or how they felt. It was insane. He felt like he had lost his identity, like he had been tricked somehow.  
This woman before him was the source of all his grief. If he killed her, the pain would end, wouldn't it? He thought about it for a second and realized that it would only become worse. He couldn't even imagine himself hurting her. She was looking at him as if… oh.. She tossed his clothes to him and left the room. He pouted as he slipped his clothes on and quickly exited the room.  
"Hey, you aren't leaving yet are you?" a nurse walked up to Bulma and Vegeta as the headed down the hall.  
"Piss off woman!" Vegeta snapped. "I'm fine!" Bulma bit her lip.  
"Vegeta!" she gasped. "Shut up!" she turned to the nurse. "I'm sorry, but we're leaving."  
"But-" the nurse said. Her face was twisted in anger but she kept silent, as did Vegeta, which surprised Bulma. Maybe he wasn't totally healed. But she knew she would never get him to stay at the hospital another day.  
They walked to her car in silence, another fact that disturbed Bulma. He could just as well fly, but he didn't. Her concern was growing quickly. What if he was still injured? She would hate to have to bring him back or even worse, have him die. She didn't know why she had these feelings for Vegeta all the sudden. She felt protective towards him, though she knew too well that he would sneer at such feelings.  
Once they were inside her car she turned towards Vegeta and watched his expression. He still looked tired, maybe not physically, but she could see exhaustion written all over his face.  
"Are you sure your all right?" she asked softly. He turned to face her, his black eyes boring into her own.  
"I'm fine." He said, equally as soft. "You worry to much woman." He reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "It's actually a good thing. I am stronger than I was yesterday."  
Once again Bulma was trapped in his gaze. His ebony eyes held so many secrets she dared not guess at.  
"Are you sure?" a whisper.  
"Yes." By Kami, he was close. Was he going to kiss her? And was she going to stop him? The way he was looking at her, as if this was his first time seeing her. She closed her eyes and lightly puckered up. As soon as she did his lips were on hers, his tongue slipping into her mouth. She welcomed it with an eager moan.  
Vegeta was in ecstasy. All his hopes had revolved around this moment and it was finally happening! He felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. And as she moaned softly through closed lips, he went wild. His hands were all over her, and hers on him. Vegeta was growing more aroused by the second, barely aware that they were still in Bulma's car in the hospital's parking garage. Bulma on the other hand, still had a slight grip on reality. She pulled away from Vegeta.  
"Wait! Wait till we get to my house!" she gasped. Vegeta bit his lip to control himself.  
"Hurry!" he urged. Bulma nodded feeling the same urgency. She turned the key in the ignition and sped out of the parking garage, desperately trying to ignore Vegeta's eager hands.

She made it home in fifteen minutes. A record for her. As soon as the car was off Vegeta jumped out and appeared outside her door. He nearly tore it from its hinges and pulled her into his arms. Their lips found each other's instantly and he dashed inside.  
Once inside he dropped to his knees and began to kiss every inch of her body as he pulled away her clothes. His hands were gentle, yet insistent. Bulma found herself amazed at the amount of passion Vegeta displayed. She'd never imagined he would be so good, and they had just begun. She frantically tugged at his shirt and he sat up for a second to rip it off. Bulma held him close, her tongue exploring his mouth as he began to pull off her pants. She shuddered in ecstasy as his hand slipped in between her legs, and gasped aloud, arching against him as his fingers slipped inside her wet entrance. She bit down on his earlobe as he began to play with her. He bit her neck in response, breaking the skin. Bulma never even felt the pain, she only felt his tongue trace her neck as he lapped up her blood. Then he began to leave a trail of hungry kisses from her breasts to her belly and then down to meet his hand. She gasped as his tongue slipped inside of her and automatically gripped his wild hair. Her gasps quickly grew to loud moans, her body trembled with pleasure so that Vegeta had to hold her down to the floor.  
"Please.." Bulma moaned. "Stop teasing.." Vegeta smiled a genuine smile, nothing close to his usual smirk. He tore out of his pants and slowly slid into her, smiling again as her moans grew louder and she dug her nails into his back. "Oh Kami!" she cried. She was so hot and tight, Vegeta nearly lost it right then. He clutched her desperately trying to calm down as she trashed under him. A second passed and he began to thrust his hips gently. Her moans grew louder still and he quickened his pace. Soon they were both drenched in sweat. Bulma screamed as her orgasm crashed over her. She clawed Vegeta's back shouting in delight.  
Vegeta couldn't take anymore. He came inside of her with a low moan, thrusting inside of her a few more times, and then collapsed on his side, pulling her with him.  
They stayed that way for several minutes, panting in exhaustion. Once their sweat began to dry, Bulma began to shiver.  
"Vegeta." She whispered, he throat raw from screaming.  
"Mm hmm?"  
"Can we go up to my bedroom?" he didn't answer, but merely picked her up and carried her up the stairs.  
Once in her room he gently placed her on the bed and climbed in with her, pulling the sheets over them. Bulma sighed in relief and snuggled against Vegeta's chest. He smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her and soon both were fast asleep.

Vegeta woke near dawn to the sound of light snoring. Bulma's butt was pressed up against his back in a rather awkward position. He was on the very edge of the mattress. He realized that if she made any sudden movements he would be knocked to the floor. He carefully rolled over and lightly pushed her over then scooted up next to her. He stuck his nose in her hair and breathed deeply. She smelled like roses, he couldn't get enough of her scent. The thought of her waking up in a few hours and eventually leaving his arms disappointed him. He wanted to hold her all day.  
He found it hard to believe how strong his feelings for her were. He realized he would do anything to stay with her, and do anything to protect her. Even if it cost him his life. It had taken the past week and last night's events for him to realize it. He sighed and drew her close, kissing her lightly on the forehead. Bulma gave a tiny sigh and snuggled closer. Vegeta smiled, for the first time in his life he was truly content.

Bulma awoke feeling sore, yet utterly satisfied. She opened her eyes and saw Vegeta lightly dozing beside her. She smiled and leaned forward, kissing him lightly on the tip of his nose. His eyes opened immediately and he smiled leaning forward for a kiss. Her hands snaked up his back and clutched at his shoulders as his tongue slid into her mouth. They greedily kissed until the both broke away, gasping for breath.  
Bulma was so happy! She'd never seen this side of Vegeta. It was as if a spell had been cast over the both of them; she was loath to break it. She wanted to stay in bed all day with him. But she did have other things to do as much as she didn't want to.  
"Are we going to get up today?" she asked, smiling shyly. Vegeta frowned and gazed off into the distance as if he was considering the possibility.  
"I don't know." He said with a shrug. "I'm quite comfortable here." Bulma smiled, her blue eyes sparkling. He loved the way her eyes shone and he felt the corners of his mouth tugging into a grin. He sat up and stretched. Bulma felt herself grow hot as she admired his body. Kami he was gorgeous! She bit her lip and dove on him, almost knocking him back. Before he could react her lips were on his and her tongue forced its way into his mouth. He immediately grew aroused. He was relieved she didn't have any clothes on; they would have been ripped to shreds anyway. He was amazed at her. From the way she'd previously acted towards him, he never expected her to be such fun. Her hands were all over him. He groaned in pleasure as she grabbed his ass and nipped at his throat. Then suddenly one of her slender hands found his tail spot.  
"Aahh!" he cried as an insane rush of pleasure surged through his body. He flipped Bulma on her back, spread her legs, and entered her with one quick thrust. Her cry of pleasure rang in his ears. He wildly thrust into her, but it was not in the least bit painful. She had imagined him as the rough, bondage type. Or something. He was like nothing she'd expected, and it was wonderful. She felt an orgasm building up immediately, she wasn't sure what had set him off, but at the moment she could care less.  
"Ow!" she cried as her head struck the headboard. Vegeta grabbed the top of her head, cradling it in his hands.  
Bulma gasped her body trembling in excitement. Her orgasm hit her like a ton of bricks. She thrashed underneath Vegeta, moaning loudly. Vegeta winced, his ears ringing, and gave a few last thrusts before he came and collapsed on her. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled to his side. Suddenly he stiffened and raised his head to peer at the door.  
"What's wrong?" Bulma gasped.  
"Shh." He said. There was a knock at the door. Bulma and Vegeta tensed.  
"Shit." They hissed in unison. Vegeta jumped out of bed and threw his pants on in seconds and was out the window before Bulma could even get out of bed. She got up, threw on some underwear and a t-shirt and opened the door.  
On the other side stood a very pissed Dr. Briefs.  
"Dad!" Bulma squeaked, guilt written all over her face. He made a quick inspection of the room. Finding no one other than his daughter he switched his gaze to her slightly red face.  
"Bulma." He stopped for a second. He handed her the clothes she'd been wearing yesterday. She felt her face get redder, they had totally forgotten about them! There was Vegeta's shirt too. * Oh Kami.. * She thought, horrified. "Your old enough to know the difference between right and wrong and to make your own decisions. But please, just… Be careful huh?" Bulma felt totally embarrassed. How could she have been so careless? But she knew, the answer was simple. Vegeta made her forget everything but him when they were together. Her embarrassment was replaced by anger. She snatched the clothing from her father's hands.  
"Thank you father." She said coldly. She then pushed past him and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

Vegeta was pissed. He'd heard every word that bastard had said to Bulma. He'd also heard the anger in Bulma's voice when she finally responded. He frowned and headed to the gravity room trying to ignore the fact that her scent still clung to him.  
Once inside he turned the gravity up to 300 and began to do push-ups. He was starving, but he didn't feel like going into the house just then. It wasn't that he cared what her father might say to him, he just didn't want to hear it right then. He doubted that he'd be able to control his temper and might hurt or even kill the man. And he highly doubted that Bulma would be happy with him if he did. After all, he was pissed when he found out that Frieza killed his father, but then it was only because it was he who was to have the pleasure of killing him. And he knew what would happen if he killed Bulma's father. After all, she was human. And a human female to boot. She would freak out, she would never look at him sideways. The thought disturbed him. He didn't know why, but if she were to refuse to see him after what had just happened, he didn't really know what he'd do. But he knew it wouldn't be good.  
He sighed and flopped down onto his stomach and rolled onto his back and began to do sit-ups.

About an hour later he headed inside to get some food. He was absolutely ravenous.  
"Oh Vegeta!" came a cheery voice. * Oh no. * He thought in panic. * Not her. * Bulma's mother trotted forward with a tray of tiny cakes. "I went to the bakery again and found some lovely cheese cakes, you have to try some! Aren't they just so cute?" she squealed. He felt like pounding his heard against the wall. This woman with her pale blonde hair and her never-ending smile made him want to kill someone. But something she had said caught his attention.  
"Cute?" he'd heard Bulma use that word the day before in reference to him and he'd had not a clue what it meant. "What does that word mean?" She giggled at Vegeta's naiveté.  
"It's what you'd call something that you like how it looks." She tried to explain. "For example, I happen to think these little cheese cakes are very pretty and this cherry frosting just looks absolutely divine! So I said that it is cute. Or you could be referring to someone you find attractive." Vegeta bit his lip. "Either way, it means you appreciate the appearance of a certain person or thing, that's all." Vegeta tried not to smile, so the woman liked what she saw, did she? He snorted and began to laugh. Mrs. Briefs giggled as well, whether it was because she knew what he was thinking or because she was just crazy, he wasn't sure. He kind of hoped she wasn't as stupid as she appeared, it would really be pathetic. "Now try one of these Veggie." She placed three dainty cheesecakes in front of him. He grabbed a chocolate covered piece and popped it in his mouth.  
"Mmmm…" he sighed before he could stop himself. It was damn good.  
"You like it?" Bunny squealed. He nodded and grabbed another, stuffing it in his mouth. "Good! Take as many as you want." She put the tray down in front of him and picked one and began to nibble it as she headed outside to do some gardening. * Oh no. * he thought. How could she leave all that in front of him? He knew he was going to eat it all. Whenever chocolate was concerned, he couldn't control himself. He had never tasted anything so delicious in his life. When Bulma first introduced it to him, he'd eaten so much he thought he'd never be able to look at it again. And yet there he sat, staring at the little chocolate-covered cheesecakes with wide eyes. The cheesecake was really good too. He bit his lip in indecision.  
"Should I or shouldn't I?" he mused. He sat for a moment drumming his fingers against the tabletop. He spared a glance around the room. Empty. Perfect. He grinned and began to scarf the small desserts down.

Bulma had been in her lab for only two hours when she felt her stomach rumbling. She hadn't had any breakfast; she'd been too upset. She wasn't mad at Vegeta. She had been about to tell him to get out of her room after her dad had knocked anyway. And she understood that her dad only had her best interests at heart, but she was still upset. She was, after all, an adult. She could sleep with whomever she chose, even if he happened to be the Prince of Saiyans who had come to destroy Chikyuu only two years before. * Has it been two years all ready? * it seemed like much longer. And yet Vegeta had been living under her roof the whole time and she hardly knew him. It was true that she found him attractive, even if he was a jerk. But when she though back to the previous night and earlier that day she felt as if she had seen a side of him that he'd kept hidden from everyone for Kami knows how many years. The thought made her feel deliriously happy. When they had been teleported to Earth and she'd invited him to live with her, he had warned her that she didn't know what she was getting herself into. It was so very true. But she ignored his warning, desperately wanting to breach the mile-thick shell around his heart just to see if he had one.  
It had been a difficult challenge, one she nearly gave up on. But now that she had finally succeeded, the pain she'd suffered was well worth it.  
She decided to stop by the kitchen and grab a sandwich. As she walked in she heard a low groan. She stopped short when she saw Vegeta sitting morosely at the table.  
"Hey." She said coming up beside him. "Are you okay?" He turned towards her his face a bit pale.  
"Your damn mother and her little cakes." Was all he said. But it was enough for Bulma. She immediately began to giggle as she remembered the first time Vegeta ate too much candy.  
"How much did you eat?" He gestured to the empty tray before him.  
"All of it." He sighed. She laughed again.  
"You should learn to control that appetite of yours. Too much chocolate is bad for you."  
"Hmph." He snorted. "I'll be fine, my stomach can take a lot more abuse than yours." She smiled and rubbed his shoulders. It seemed as if everything had changed between them, but she had to admit, she liked it better this way.  
"I'll bet." She sighed. He turned in the chair to face her. Something about her voice bothered him. She sounded… upset. They gazed into each other's eyes for several moments before Vegeta finally broke the silence.  
"What's wrong?" she smiled down at him. He'd never, ever asked her what was wrong or if she was okay. Things were definitely different. She did have something on her mind though.  
"Things are different now." She said. "Not in a bad way." She added hastily seeing his confused expression. "I like it a lot better this way. But I want to know. Was what we did a one-time thing? Or.." she couldn't finish, she broke their gaze, her eyes dropping. She felt his finger caress the bite he'd given her.  
"You see this?" he asked softly. She nodded raising her eyes to meet his. "This means you are mine forever." * Forever… *  
"Really?" she cried, dropping to her knees. Her blue eyes shone with hope. "You'll never leave me?"  
"Never. I couldn't imagine my life without you anymore." His face turned slightly pink as he realized what he had just admitted.  
"Oh Veggie!" Bulma sobbed and threw herself into his arms, catching him off-guard and knocking them both to the floor. He felt her trembling in his arms and tilted her chin to look at her face. He was astonished to see tears streaming down her cheeks.  
"Why are you crying?" he said. Was it possible that she was unhappy with what he'd said, and if so, why had she thrown herself at him? Was it some sort of feeble attack?  
"Silly!" She giggled. "I'm crying because I'm so happy!" Vegeta frowned. He'd never heard of someone crying because they were happy before.  
"I'll never understand you." He kissed the top of her head before picking her up and moving to the couch. They lay down together and stayed that way, in each other's arms until dreams claimed them.

The End…


End file.
